Grenada - The DMJ
Creative Foundation for
the Performing Arts
continues its series of
Grenada
Co-operative
Bank Junior Calypso
Workshops, which are
geared toward improving
the writing skills of
our young while
increasing their
knowledge and interest
in one our most
important indigenous
art forms.
In its
second term, the series
of workshops continue
around the island with
the term culminating
with back to back
workshops in St. John
for young people in St.
John and St. Mark, over
the Easter holidays.
This school term DMJ
Creative was fortunate
to have the services of
veteran Calypsonian
Wayne “Impluse” Modeste
from Trinidad. The 2005
Young King of Trinidad
and Tobago has a very
impressive writing
resume having penned
songs for the likes of
Denise Belfon, Crazy,
Singing Sandra, Ronnie
McIntosh and others. The
experience and knowledge
of Mr. Modeste was a
most pleasant addition
to the workshops and the
enthusiasm of the
participants was
certainly reflective of
the impact of his
presence.
As a writer
himself Mr. Modeste was
able to point out the
importance of
story-telling,
observation and the use
of the English language
to inform and entertain.
The progress of the
participants in the
workshops has been most
impressive; in fact
several of the Junior
Calypsonians are now in
the preparatory stages
of recording songs that
they have written as a
result of the workshops.
The DMJ
Foundation for the
Performing Arts would
like to thank the
Grenada Calypso Judges
Association for its
continued support of the
Grenada Co-operative
Bank Junior Calypso
Workshops. The
dedication of this group
has been crucial to the
success of the workshops
to date.
At the risk
of being repetitive the
Foundation would once
again like to thank our
sponsors for
acknowledging the
importance of human
resource development,
especially among our
young people, through
their support and
involvement in the
Grenada Co-operative
Bank Junior Calypso
Workshops. The Grenada
Bottling Company, Courts
Grenada Ltd., Mitchell’s
Pharmacy, Duty Free
Caribbean Holdings and
our title sponsor the
Grenada Co-operative
Bank Ltd., must all be
resoundingly commended
for participation in
what is quickly turning
into a significant and
essential undertaking.
The DMJ Foundation for
the Performing Arts
re-affirms its
commitment to the
development of the young
people of Grenada,
Carriacou and Petit
Martinique and can give
the re-assurance that
there will be a
noticeable difference in
the quality of Calypsos
sung by junior
calypsonians in 2008,
additionally there will
be more exposure of
those songs through
proper recordings and
distribution to radio
stations and other media
outlets.
“Much education today is
monumentally
ineffective. All too
often we are giving
young people cut flowers
when we should be
teaching them to grow
their own plants.”
John William Gardner
Former US Secretary of
Health, Education, and
Welfare
Dexter
Mitchell
435-4156
403-1455
dmjcreative@gmail.com